EVERYTHING (ALMOST) YOU WANTED TO KNOW (WHO WANTS TO KNOW ABOUT THIS STUFF?), BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK.
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Wednesday, October 19, 2005

WHICH and THAT

WHICH and THAT are often confusing. Basically, WHICH is used when referring to the previous sentence (this often carries an abstract idea), while THAT usually refers to the previous noun.

e.g. HE DELETED THE PICTURE, WHICH UPSET ME. - The fact he deleted it made me feel bad. (There is a tendency in English to use WHICH in non-restrictive adjective clauses)

e.g. HE DELETED THE PICTURE THAT UPSET ME. - The picture upset me. (There is a tendency in English to use THAT in restrictive adjective clauses).

3 Comments:

I use "which" when the first clause in the sentence is able to stand on its own as a complete sentence. I don't use "which" to refer to a preceding sentence--only a preceding clause. I use "that" when the preceding clause cannot stand on its own as a complete sentence.

My question is, "Must one always insert a comma after the last word in a clause preceding 'which'?"

I use "which" when the first clause in the sentence is able to stand on its own as a complete sentence. I don't use "which" to refer to a preceding sentence--only a preceding clause. I use "that" when the preceding clause cannot stand on its own as a complete sentence.

My question is, "Must one always insert a comma after the last word in a clause preceding 'which'?"